


Ghost (2/3)

by fangirlfiction



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Brainwashing, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, F/M, Temporary Amnesia, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 09:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13655760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlfiction/pseuds/fangirlfiction
Summary: Summary: 2 years after their reintroduction into society and the subsequent Battle of New York, y/n and Steve Rogers are settling into their lives as Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But, what happens when Nick Fury is assassinated by a masked killer with a familiar past? The events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier told through the eyes of the reader.Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader, Steve!friendship x reader, Stucky!friendshipWarnings: mild cursing, mentions of war and death, fighting, injuries





	Ghost (2/3)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! So, here is part 2 of my Captain America trilogy! As always, let me know what you think, and enjoy!

You circled slowly, evaluating the 6 men standing around you. Four of them had knives and the other two glared at you with raised fists. You quickly darted forward to the two guys standing in front of you and swiped your legs at their ankles, knocking them both to the ground. You turned quickly, the two men behind you lunging forward with their knives raised. You blocked one of their arms easily with your own and grabbed the other’s arm while twisting, the man yelling out in pain and dropping the knife. You kicked the knife out of his reach and kneed him harshly in the stomach, causing him to drop to the ground with a grunt. You jab your elbow back toward his partners face, hitting him in the nose and breaking it. He grabs his face in pain, blood gushing between his fingers, and hits the ground when you kick him in the ribs. The last two men advance towards you now, knives raised. You ran at one of them and quickly hit him in the neck, causing him to hit the ground gasping. Before you could turn and disable the last man standing, he runs at you yelling, and knocks you to the ground. He’s straddling you now, and he delivers a punch to your face that snaps your head to the side.

Anger heats up in your blood and you manage to punch him between the legs, and he rolls off of you with a yell. You step on his hand to release the knife from his grip, and you walk around gathering the knives that were scattered. The sound of clapping causes you to turn and face your favorite fiery redhead.

She looks at you impressed and says, “You know y/n, they’re training partners, you don’t have to be so rough on them.”

You laugh and help the men to their feet, apologizing to the ones still groaning in pain. “I know! But if I don’t practice real life scenarios, I won’t survive real life scenarios.”

She chuckles and says, “We have a new mission. Get dressed and we’ll go pick up Steve.”

You nod and jog into the locker room adjacent to the training facility. You pull on your all black jumpsuit and slide your multiple weapons into their holsters. You look in the mirror and see a bruise already forming around your eye, and you grin at your reflection before running out to join Nat.

You let Nat drive, knowing that she was way better at it than you and she enjoys it more. She whips in and out of traffic, heading to the National Mall to pick up Steve from his usual morning run. You sit in the passenger seat, thinking about how much had changed since you and Steve woke up 2 years ago. You were now both a part of the Avengers, as well as Agents with S.H.I.E.L.D. You were both treated as a team, so you were often sent on missions together, which was something that you were thankful for. It was hard adjusting to this new life sometimes.

Nat pulls up to the curb where you see Steve waiting, talking to someone you hadn’t seen before. You were happy to see him smiling; sometimes it was hard to get that out of him. You rolled down your window and yell out to Steve. “Hey fellas, either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I’m here to pick up a fossil.”

Steve and Nat both let out a loud laugh and Steve replies, “y/n, you’re older than me!”

“By two months, Rogers!”

He laughs again and you step out of the car to slide the seat forward and move to the back. Steve ducks his head in and says, “You should have made me sit back there, that way you could sit up front.”

You snort in response. “Yeah right, Steve. You’ll definitely fit back here. Just get in.”

He shrugs and pushes the seat back into place before sliding into the car. You look out the window to see Steve’s new acquaintance looking into the car with a smile, eyes focused on Nat.

“How ya doing?” he asks.

“Hey,” Nat replies in a flirtatious voice. You giggle in the backseat.

Steve says to the man, “Can’t run everywhere.”

He replies, impressed, “No, you can’t.”

And with that, Nat speeds off into traffic, maneuvering around the cars that she insists are driving too slow.

“Who was that, Steve?”

He turns around to look at you as he answers, “His name is Sam. He…wait, what happened to your eye?”

“Training.” You say with a shrug.

Steve rolls his eyes, a habit of yours that seems to be rubbing off on everyone these days. “And you always worry about me. I’m going to have to lock you in a bubble at this rate.”

You laugh and lean back into the seat, enjoying the smooth ride of the drive to the tarmac. Guilt flashes through your mind when you realize how happy you’ve been lately. _I haven’t thought about Bucky in days_. You scold yourself internally, disappointed that you had gone so long without him crossing your mind. You knew that Steve struggled with feelings of guilt too, but he often reminded you that Bucky wouldn’t have wanted you to both live that way. Still, you owed it to him to keep his memory alive, even if it was just in your head.

You are pulled from your thoughts by your arrival to the tarmac, and you, Steve, and Nat all board the waiting S.H.I.E.L.D. plane. A team is already assembled on board, and the debriefing begins as soon as the plane takes off.

“Target is a mobile satellite launch platform, the _Lemurian Star_ , setting up their last payload when pirates took them, 93 minutes ago.” Rumlow says.

“Any demands?” Steve asks.

“8 and a half,” answers Rumlow.

You speak up, “Why so steep?”

Rumlow nods and says, “Because it’s S.H.I.E.L.D’s.”

You and Steve glance at each other, annoyance on your faces. Steve remarks, “So, it’s not off course, it’s trespassing.”

Nat looks at you both, clearly unbothered. “I’m sure they have a good reason.”

Steve mutters again, “I’m getting a little tired of being Fury’s janitor.”

You start to agree but Nat cuts you off. “Relax, it’s not that complicated.”

“How many pirates?” asks Steve.

“25. Top mercs led by this guy, George Batroc. Before the French demobilized him, he had 36  kill missions. This guy’s got a rep for maximum casualties.”

You study the picture on the screen, as Steve asks, “Hostages?”

“Uh, mostly techs, one officer. Jasper Sitwell, in the galley.”

Steve wonders aloud, “What’s Sitwell doing on a launch ship?” He continues, “All right, I’m going to sweep the deck with y/n and find Batroc. Nat, you kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you find the hostages, get into the life pods and get them out.”

Rumlow turns to his team and says, “Strike, you heard the Captain. Gear up!”

You and Steve begin moving towards the back doors of the plane in preparation for your jump to the ship. Steve is testing the channel for the radios when Nat asks, “Did you do anything fun Saturday night?”

“Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead. So no, not really.” Steve responds, bringing a smirk to all of your faces.

A voice speaks up in your ear, “Coming up on the drop zone, Captain and y/n.”

You and Steve move closer to the back door and as it opens, Nat continues, “You know, if you asked Kristen out from statistics she’d probably say yes.”

“That’s why I don’t ask,” Steve banters back with a smile.

The door finishes opening and Nat asks, “Too shy or too scared?”

“Too busy,” Steve retorts, another smile on his face as he turns to jump from the plane.

You hear one of Rumlow’s guys behind you ask, “Is he wearing a parachute?” and Rumlow’s response of, “No. No, he wasn’t.” as you roll your eyes and follow Steve out of the doors. You rushed towards the ship, pulling open your parachute when necessary and reminded of a time in the 1940’s when you followed Steve out of a plane and into danger.

You landed quietly on the back deck of the ship, releasing the strap of your parachute. Steve was standing just ahead of you, and turned to you at your arrival. Steve pointed you towards the left and you nodded your head, signaling that you understood. You ran to the left side of the deck, seeing Steve run off down the right side from the corner of your eye.

You heard the ding of the shield as it hits the metal of the ship, right as you were sneaking up on the first guard. He turned in your direction and you quickly plunged your knife into his neck before running forward and killing two more. You continued running and stopped when two men jumped into your path, with two more coming up behind you. You quirked your head to the side, wondering if they thought that it would take only 4 men to stop you.

You grinned as the first two lunged at you, this morning’s training fresh in your mind. You kicked the guns out of their hands easily and one of them dropped to the ground when you kicked him hard enough to snap his ankle. His partner grabbed you from behind as you were turning to take him down, and he hooked his arms through yours, holding you in place. One of the other guards raised his gun at you and fired, but you managed to use your body weight to turn the man holding you before the bullet hit.

The man holding you back cried out as the bullet made contact with his side and you ran at the man still aiming at you, delivering a blow that broke his wrist and disarmed him. He cried out in pain and swung at you with his other hand, his fist smashing into your already black eye. You pulled him forward and headbutted him, causing him to blackout, and his partner swung his leg at you, knocking you to the ground. You scrambled up quickly before the knife in his hands thudded into the ground where your head was just located. You swiped the knife from his hands quickly, and pushed it into his chest before jumping up and running to meet Steve.

You lightly touched your eye only to wince in pain, but you knew that it would heal within a day or two. You heard Steve’s voice in your ear, “Natasha, what’s your status?”

Nat’s silence prompted Steve to ask again, “Status, Natasha.”

You hear her yell out, “Hang on!” before her voice goes quiet in your ear again.

“y/n, what about you? What’s your status?”

You pull your mouthpiece up to your mouth and mutter, “Left deck secure.”

Steve responds, “Join Rumlow to see if they need help with the hostages.”

“Understood.”

You run off in search of stairs that will lead you to the lower decks, knowing that is where the hostages are being kept. You move down the stairs quietly, taking out two more guards as you do. Your feet land on the deck as an explosion rings out, blasting open the doors that are hiding the hostages. You joined up with Rumlow’s team, protecting hostages from the remaining hostiles. You tuned out the chatter of Nat missing the rendezvous point and needing to join up with the hostages as you slammed two hostile's heads together.

“y/n, I found Batroc. Main deck. Get up here.” Steve yells out quickly into the comms.

“On it,” you reply back, taking off running to the nearest set of stairs. You hear the muffled sounds of fighting above you and realize that it must be Steve. You burst through the door on the main deck just in time to see Steve crash through a door with Batroc. You jog up behind him and step inside to see Nat bent over at a computer and Batroc on the ground, unconscious.

“What are you doing?” questions Steve.

Nat responds casually, “Backing up the hard drive. It’s a good habit to get into.”

Steve bites back angrily, “Rumlow needed your help, what the hell are you doing here?” He walks closer to her to look at the computer screen. “You’re saving S.H.I.E.L.D. intel.”

You step closer to them in confusion as Nat answers, “Whatever I can get my hands on.”

“Our mission is to save hostages.”

“No, that’s yours and y/n’s mission.” She pulls the flashdrive from the computer and continues, “And you’ve done it beautifully.”

She flashes you both a smile as Steve grabs her arm. “You just jeopardized this whole operation.”

You step closer, ready to intervene if things escalate further. Nat responds, “I think that’s overstating things.”

You all hear a sound behind you and turn to see Batroc jumping up and throwing a grenade towards all of you. Steve hits it with his shield, sending it closer to the door, and turns to grab Nat. He lifts her and uses the desk as a boost towards a set of windows that Nat quickly shoots out, both of them leaving you behind to fend for yourself. You quickly follow in their footsteps only to be thrown against the wall as the explosion rocks the room. You hit the floor with a thud and groan.

“y/n!” Steve yells, worry in his voice. He jumps out of the window and runs to you, helping to sit you up. You groan again and hold your throbbing head, blood quickly dampening your fingers. Anger flashes through you when you hear Steve’s voice.

“Shit,” Steve mutters as he surveys your injuries. “y/n, are you okay? Look at me!”

You look up into Steve’s eyes and suppress the urge to forgive him when you see the worry in his eyes. You wave him off. “Thanks for leaving me behind, Captain.”

You see his eyes flash with guilt as you drag yourself to your feet, and you feel a little bad about your comment. He hated when you called him Captain; he loved that you saw him as Steve and not some national hero. He grabs your arm to support you and you let him, knowing that you can’t stay mad at him for long.

“I’m sorry, y/n.” Steve mutters, sounding heartbroken.

“It’s okay, Stevie. You knew I could hold my own so you protected Nat first. It’s what I would have done.”

He looks relieved when you say this and helps you through the window and past a worried looking Nat.

“y/n-“ she begins, but Steve cuts her off. “Not right now, Natasha.”

Steve helps you back to the transporter and patches up the injuries that he can, even stitching up the cut on your head surprisingly well. “Bruce taught me,” he says when you look at the stitches, impressed.

You ride back to D.C. in silence, Nat looking upset in the corner of the carrier. You had already started to feel better by the time you landed, thanks to the serum. Otherwise, recovery would have been a lot worse.

Upon landing, Steve told you that he was going to see Fury and disagreed when you said that you should go too. But after you pointed to your stitches in a sassy manner, he agreed out of guilt. Just like you knew he would. When you both arrived to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, you tried to keep him calm and cool the anger that was pouring off of him in waves, but it was no use. He was pissed at Fury. Your elevator stops on Fury’s floor and Steve strides out in that angry and purposeful way, leaving you to calmly follow in his wake.

He strides into Fury’s office unannounced and says, “You just can’t stop yourself from lying, can you?”

Fury sits behind his desk, his back to you both. “I didn’t lie. Romanoff had a different mission than you and y/n.”

“Which you didn’t feel obliged to share,” answers Steve.

Fury responds, sounding annoyed, “I’m not obliged to do anything.”

Steve sounds shocked at his reply as he says, “Those hostages could have died.”

Fury spins around in his chair, his eye flickering to you briefly. He raised an eyebrow at your appearance, but turns back to Steve. “I sent the greatest two soldiers in history to make sure that didn’t happen.”

“Soldiers trust each other. That’s what makes it an army, not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns," bites back Steve, anger contorting his face.  

“Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn’t want you doing anything you weren’t comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything,” Fury says casually.

“I can’t lead a mission when the people I’m leading have missions of their own,” Steve shoots back.

“It’s called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all.” Fury says this likes it’s obvious.

You see Steve’s eyebrows raise and he responds in a deadpan voice, “Except you.”

Fury nods his head slightly, and looks at Steve with an unreadable expression. “You’re wrong about me, I do share. I’m nice like that.”

Fury leads you both from the office and into the elevator where he states, “Insight bay.”

The elevator responds, “Captain Rogers and Agent y/l/n do not have clearance for Project Insight.”

“Director override. Fury, Nicholas J.”

“Confirmed.”

Your eyebrows knit together in confusion at the mention of Project Insight, and you wondered what you were being allowed to see. You tuned out the conversation between Fury and Steve, your thoughts drifting to the last time you were in an elevator and utterly unsure of what was going on.

. . .

Bucky’s hands were laced over your eyes as he lead you inside of a building. He had been covering your eyes since you stepped in the taxi, insisting that the location of your 3rd anniversary date be a secret up until the end. Your heels clicked on the tile beneath your feet, and you could hear the quiet sounds of conversation all around you. Bucky leaned forward and then back again, and the arrival of the elevator told you that he had just pressed the button. You both stepped inside, and you began giggling.

“Buck, are we almost there? I can’t wait any longer!”

“We’re nearly there, doll. Just a few more floors.” The elevator dings again to signal your stop and Bucky urges you forward into a room with soft conversations and music. You feel Bucky’s hands drop and he whispers in your ear, “Okay doll, open.”

You open your eyes slowly, your eyes adjusting to the softly lit room. You look around at all the well-dressed couples and beautiful décor, and realize that Bucky brought you to the Marine Roof at the Hotel Bossert. It was a rooftop restaurant that you had been obsessing over ever since you saw it featured in the paper. You turn to Bucky with wide eyes, “Bucky, this is too much!”

Bucky grins at you and replies, “Nothing is too much for my best girl.”

You look at him with a serious expression, “Are you sure? You know I woulda been happy just to go out for ice cream with you and Steve.”

Bucky begins leading you to your table, pulling your chair out for you and helping you to sit. “Now y/n, I couldn’t take you on a regular date for our 3rd anniversary, this is a milestone! Besides, I heard this place has the best ice cream in New York.”

You grin and him and lean across the table to give him a quick kiss. “Shh Bucky, you don’t want Sal to hear you saying that.”

You both laugh as the waiter approaches to take your drink order, and you throw a silent prayer to the gods above to let Bucky be yours forever. You couldn’t imagine a life without the most thoughtful man you knew. At least, you couldn’t back then.

Steve touches your arm to get your attention, noticing the sad expression on your face. He nods his head towards the view behind you, and you have to suppress the urge to drop your jaw in awe. All around you were what looked like aircraft, in an underground building that looked like it stretched for miles. Down below you could see people and cars everywhere, driving and walking to various destinations.

You look at Steve in awe who turns to look at you with a similar expression. Fury escorted you both from the elevator and began speaking, “This, is Project Insight. 3 next generation helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites. Once we get them in the air, they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight, courtesy of our new repulser engines.”

“Stark?” Steve questioned.

“Eh, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines. These long-range precision guns can eliminate 1,000 hostiles a minute. The satellite can read a terrorists DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. It’s going to neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen.”

You look at Steve in alarm, your mind already working through the implications of Project Insight. Steve seems just as shocked as you when he asks, “I thought the punishment usually came after the crime?”

“We can’t afford to wait that long.”

“Who’s we?” Steve questions.

“After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we need a quantum surge and threat analysis. For once, we are way ahead of the curve.”

You look at Fury, wondering how he doesn’t see how wrong this is and state, “By holding a gun to everyone on Earth and calling it protection.”

Fury turns to you and Steve and says, “You know, I read those SSR files. The greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff.”

Steve steps towards Fury and replies, “Yeah. We compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so that people could be free. This isn’t freedom. This is fear.”

Fury steps closer to Steve and answers, “S.H.I.E.L.D. takes the world as it is, not as we’d like it to be. It’s getting damn near time for you to both get with that program.”

Steve mutters back, “Don’t hold your breath.”

He turns and walks back towards the elevator with you close behind him. You arrive back to his motorcycle in silence and he turns to you as you are putting your helmet on. “Do you want to go see him?”

You nod your head and climb on behind him, riding to the only place outside of your head that kept Bucky alive. As soon as you and Steve arrive at the museum, you make a beeline for the section about Bucky. Steve lingered behind you, walking through the museum with his cap pulled low. You pulled your sunglasses off when you reached the display of Bucky.

“Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.”

You look down at the video display and tears spring to your eyes at the sight of Bucky. First you, Steve, and Bucky sitting in a jeep and planning a mission. Then the three of you laughing, probably at something that Bucky said. His head lowers as he laughs, and you see his fingers laced through yours at the bottom of the screen. Your tears drop onto your cheeks and race down, and you feel a familiar presence behind you. Steve puts his arms around your shoulders and you lean into him, wiping the tears from your face.

“Not even 70 years is enough to dull the pain of his absence, Steve.”

He squeezes your hand and walks off towards the tiny theater that plays an interview with Peggy. You know that Steve came here just to see her as he remembers her, and he knew that you came here often to relive memories of Bucky. You both meet out front an hour later, heavier with the weight of your memories.

You touch his arm and suggest, “Let’s go see Peggy.”

. . .

You arrive in a few minutes, traffic surprisingly light for evening in D.C., and you urge Steve through the door. “Go ahead, Steve, I’ll wait out here.”

You slide into the chair near the door, overhearing Steve and Peggy’s conversation.

“What is it?”

“For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right. Guess I’m not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in. Follow orders. Serve.” He pauses before whispering, “It’s just not the same.”

Peggy laughs and says, “Always so dramatic. Look, you saved the world. We rather mucked it up.”

Steve immediately responds, “You didn’t. Knowing you helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. is half the reason that me and y/n stayed.”

“Speaking of y/n, is she here?” Peggy questions.

You poke your head in the door at the mention of your name, and walk over to the other side of Peggy’s bed to hug her. With a smile you say, “Hi Peggy. You look as beautiful as always.”

She hugs you back weakly and replies, “Oh, I doubt that.” She grabs yours and Steve’s hands and continues, “I think you both probably need to hear this. The world has changed. And none of us can go back. All we can do is our best. And sometimes, the best that we can do is start over.”

Peggy begins coughing and Steve turns to get her a glass of water. She refuses it and closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, she looks at Steve with hope. “Steve…. You’re alive. You came, you came back.”

She turns to you when she notices your hand holding hers and says, “y/n… it’s been so long.”

Her tears squeeze your heart and Steve leans towards her, “Well, I couldn’t leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance.”

Tears begin sliding down your face at their exchange and the mention of the nickname that Bucky always used with you. You can see the heartbreak in Steve’s face and you both leave moments later. There’s only so much pain from the past that you can handle in one day.

You ride on the back of Steve’s motorcycle, lost in thought and not paying attention to where you are going. Steve pulls up in front of a nondescript brown building and you pull off your helmet while looking at it in confusion. “Steve, where are we?”

Steve replies, “There’s someone that I want you to officially meet.”

You both step inside and approach an open room full of people, with Steve’s running buddy at the front behind a podium. You stand in the doorway as a woman tells her story, and the man at the front says, “Some stuff, you leave there. Other stuff you bring back. It’s our job to figure out how we carry it. Is it going to be a suitcase or in a little man purse?”

You smile at the mention of a man purse and contemplate the weight of his words. _Maybe it was time to start letting some things go._ You and Steve step out of the way as the people in the room leave, and after the man tells everyone goodbye, he approaches you and Steve.

“Look who it is, the running man.” He notices you lingering behind Steve and says, “And one of the girls from the car.”

You step forward and shake his hand, “y/n.”

He shakes back and says, “Sam.”

You nod and step back and Steve begins speaking. “Caught the last few minutes, it’s pretty intense.”

“Yeah, brotha. We all got the same problems. Guilt. Regret.” The truth of his statement hits you like a ton of bricks. _Have I ever stopped blaming myself for Bucky’s death?_

Steve questions, “You lose someone?”

Sam nods and answers, “My wingman, Riley. Flying with night vision. Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn’t done 1000 times before. Until an RPG knocked Riley’s dumbass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. Its like I was up there to watch.”

“I’m sorry,” mumbles Steve.

Sam says, “After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason to be over there.”

“Are you happy now? Back in the world?” questions Steve.

“The number of people giving me orders has gone down to about, zero? So, hell yeah.” He smiles and questions, “You thinking about getting out?”

Steve answers honestly, “No… I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t know what I would do with myself if I did.”

“Ultimate fighting? Just a great idea off the top of my head.” You and Steve chuckle at the suggestion. “Seriously you can do whatever you wanna do. What makes you happy?”

Steve again answers honestly, “I don’t know.”

Sam offers to buy you a few drinks at the bar down the street, but you and Steve ask for a rain check. It had been a long day and you both just needed some time to cool off.

“Steve, will you drop me off near the water? I think I need some time to think.”

“Of course, y/n.”

He drops you off at a scenic viewing spot, hugging you before he leaves. “I’ll be home in few hours. I’ll grab us something to eat on my way.”

He nods before driving off, leaving you to think about the weight of the past.

. . .

The taxi drops you off at the front of the apartment complex. Of course, you and Steve had separate apartments in the same building, but often slept over at each other’s apartments out of habit. A text from Steve had buzzed on your phone about ten minutes ago, letting you know that he was home and hungry. You take the stairs two at a time when the sound of gunshot of pulled you from your thoughts. You dropped the bags of food you were holding and pulled out your gun, creeping up the stairs at a slower pace now.

When you reach yours and Steve’s floor, you notice that his door is open and you hear voices. You quickly look around and then jog forward, straining to hear the voices inside. You creep into the apartment slowly, the voices growing louder as you get closer.

“Foxtrot is down, he’s unresponsive. I need EMTs.” Says an unknown voice.

“Do you have a 20 on the shooter?” crackles a voice through a radio.

You hear Steve’s voice next, “Tell him I’m in pursuit.”

You hear a loud crash of what you can only assume is the window and you round the last corner quickly, pointing your gun at your neighbor.

“Kate?” you question, looking at Fury bleeding out on the floor.

“Agent,” she responds. “Go! Captain exited through the window.”

You run to the window and jump out, seeing the broken window on an adjacent building. You leap off of the roof and tumble through the window, cutting your shoulder on glass as you do. You ignore it and keep running, following the path of destruction that Steve left behind like breadcrumbs. You ran down a long hallway and spot Steve through a broken window just ahead. He threw his shield at who you assume is Fury’s shooter, and the man turns and catches it with ease. You slow as you approach the window and look out in shock as the man with a metal arm throws shield back at Steve. Steve catches it and the force of it causes him to slide several inches, and he runs after the masked man that has quickly disappeared.

You follow Steve onto the rooftop and yell out, “Steve!”

You come up behind Steve and look over the edge of the building, unable to see the masked man at all. “What the hell was that?” you question.

“I don’t know,” Steve answers. “C’mon, we need to go to the hospital. You can call Nat on the way to tell her about Fury.”

. . .

You and Steve are watching Fury undergo surgery when Nat bursts through the door.

“Is he going to make it?” she asks.

“I don’t know.”

“Tell me about the shooter.”

“He was fast. Strong. Had a metal arm.” Steve says, lost in thought.

“Ballistics?”

“3 slugs. No rifling. Completely untraceable.” Answers Hill, lost at how to find the shooter now.

“Soviet made.” Nat’s last inquiry comes out as a statement, not a question. You and Hill look at her in confusion.

The scene inside the operating room becomes more chaotic as Fury flatlines. You hear Nat muttering, “don’t do this to me” over and over as she watches the scene in front of her. You feel a tear slide down your cheek, mourning a man you didn’t always see eye to eye with. You and Steve walk Nat to say goodbye to Fury, and you notice Steve clutching a flash drive in his hand. You look at it and then at him and wonder what the hell he knows, but decide to wait to ask.

Hill comes in as Nat is saying her goodbyes, and approaches you and Steve who are standing at the wall of the room. “I need to take him.”

Steve steps forward to comfort Nat, and you see her place a hand on Fury’s head before turning and walking quickly out of the room. Steve follows behind her closely and says, “Natasha!”

She spins and looks at him with wild eyes and asks, “Why was Fury in your apartment?”

Steve sighs and shrugs as he says, “I don’t know.”

Rumlow walks up at this moment and says, “Captain, they want you back at S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Yeah, give me a second.”

Rumlow responds, “They want you now.”

Steve states firmly, “Okay.”

He turns back to Nat and she says, “You’re a terrible liar.” And then she turns and walks off. Steve motions for you to come closer.

“Steve, what’s going on?”

“I don’t have time to tell you everything I know right now. Lay low and wait to hear from me. I’ll explain everything after the questioning.”

You nod your head and turn to leave, but Steve grabs your arm. “And y/n? Don’t trust anyone. That’s the last thing Fury told me before he died.”

Your eyes widen slightly at his words, and you kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll wait for your call.”

. . .

You glanced at the text that just came to your phone from an unknown number. _New York won back to back championships in 27-28, one in HOckey and one in football._ Okay, back to the Hospital in 27-28 minutes. You made it back in 35 minutes because sometimes traffic just wasn’t willing to work with you. You took the stairs back to the floor that you last spoke to Steve on, your hat obscuring your face from view. You opened the door to the floor and stood near the snack machine, wondering where Steve was. Your hearing picked up on voices nearby and you slid into a room to find Steve holding Nat against the wall with his arm. You start to step forward, but Nat holds up her hand to stop you. Steve doesn’t even glance your way.

“I know who killed Fury. Most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists, the ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. He’s credited with over 2 dozen assassinations in the last 50 years.”

“So, he’s a ghost story.” Steve states.

“5 years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran. Someone shot out my tires, we lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out. But, the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer so he shot him, straight through me.” She lifts her shirt to show off a scar. “Soviet slug. No rifling. Bye bye, bikinis.”

“Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now.”

“Going after him is a dead end. I know, I’ve tried.” She holds up the flash drive you saw Steve clutching earlier. “Like you said, he’s a ghost story.”

“Well, let’s find out what the ghost wants.”

. . .

You, Steve, and Nat walked through the mall as quickly as you could without raising suspicions. “The first rule of going on the run is don’t run, walk.”

“If I run, these shoes are going to fall off,” retorts Steve. You swallow your laughter.

Nat escorts you into a computer store, and you and Steve stand next to her, tense and on guard.

“The drive has a level 6 homing program, so as soon as we boot up S.H.I.E.L.D. will know exactly where we are.”

“How much time will we have?” you ask.

“About 9 minutes, from…now.” Nat inserts the drive and continues, “Fury was right about that ship. Somebody’s trying to hide something. This drive is protected by some sort of AI. it keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands.”

You and Steve look around as Nat works, ready for an interruption at any moment. Steve asks, “Can you override it?”

“The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me. Slightly. I’m going to try running a tracer. This is a program that S.H.I.E.L.D. developed to track hostile malware, so if we can’t read the file, maybe we can find out where it came from.”

A worker approaches and asks you, “Can I help you guys with anything?”

Nat immediately looks up and says, “Oh no. My friends here are getting married and I was helping them find honeymoon destinations.”

Steve looked at you and says, “Right. We’re getting married.”

You smile and stand closer to him, lacing your fingers through his as the worker says, “Congratulations. Where you guys thinking about going?”

He leans towards the screen and Steve blocks it with his body. You glance at the location ping and say, “New Jersey.”

The worker looks confused as he says, “Oh.”

You and Steve nod casually while Natasha continues typing behind you. The worker pauses and looks at Steve with recognition, and you are preparing to pull Steve away and run when he says, “I have the exact same glasses.”

You let out a quiet sigh of relief while Nat deadpans, “Wow, you two are practically twins.”

He looks at Steve and motions up and down his body, “Yeah, I wish. Specimen.” You and Steve awkwardly nod as he continues speaking, “If you guys need anything, I’ve been Aaron.”

You and Steve both mutter “thank you” and turn back to Nat anxiously. “You said 9 minutes, come on.”

“Shh, relax. Got it.” Steve looks at the coordinates closely and Nat continues, “You know it?”

“I used to. Let’s go,” Steve responds as he pulls out the flash drive. You walk next to Steve and Nat walks behind you close enough for backup, but far enough away to look like she’s not with you. “Standard tag team. 2 behind, 2 across. 2 coming straight at us. If they make us I’ll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro.”

“Steve, shut up and put your arm around me. Laugh at something I said.” You state, remembering the crash courses in being a chameleon that you got from both Peggy and Nat. You knew the latter was easily blending behind you two.

“What?” Steve questions, clearly confused.

“Do it.” You say more firmly. This time Steve doesn’t hesitate and he throws his arm around you casually, both of you leaning your heads down to laugh. You pass by the 2 ahead unnoticed and continue to the escalator. Your eyes are scanning the faces around you when you see Rumlow coming up the escalator as you go down. You turn towards Steve, looking around him to flash Nat a look. She drops to the floor and pretends to tie her shoes.

You look up at Steve, “Kiss me.”

“What?” he questions again, still confused.

“Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.”

“Yes, they do.” Steve retorts.

Frustrated, you pull his face towards you and kiss him, pulling yourself away when you see Rumlow reach the top. You can hear Nat laughing quietly behind you, having just witnessed your PDA. You all 3 begin walking down the escalators quickly, heading to the garage where you steal a truck.

You climb into the backseat, happy to stretch your legs on the journey to New Jersey. You alternate between dozing and talking to Steve and Nat, and you wake up to see Nat looking at Steve intensely.

“Where did Captain America learn to steal a car?”

“Nazi Germany. And we’re borrowing it, take your feet off the dash.”

Nat lowers her feet with a slight smirk and says, “Alright, I have a question for you. Of which you do not have to answer. I feel like you not answering it though, will be like you- “

“What?” Steve asks, cutting her off.

“Was y/n your first kiss since 1945?” she asks with a smirk.

You snort loudly in the backseat as Steve says, “It looked that bad, huh?”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Well, it kinda sounds like that’s what you’re saying.”

“No, I just wondered how much practice you had.”

You lean forwards in anticipation of Steve’s answer. You knew Steve had gone on a few dates since you woke up, you had too, but you didn’t know how far they had gotten.

“You don’t need practice.”

“Everyone needs practice.”

“It was not my first kiss since 1945. I’m 95, I’m not dead.”

You snort again, “C’mon Stevie, you gonna kiss and tell? Anyone special?”

Steve’s eyes flash to yours in the rearview mirror and he says, “Believe it or not, it’s kinda hard to find someone with a shared life experience.”

You nod at him with a soft smile, understanding what he’s saying. Nat says, “Well, that alright. Just make something up.”

“What, like you?” Steve asks.

“I don’t know, the truth is a matter of circumstance. It’s not all things, to all people, all the time. Neither am I.”

You put your hand on Nat’s shoulder and say, “That’s a tough way to live.”

She looks at you and then Steve before watching the trees go by outside. “It’s a good way not to die though.”

“You know, it’s kinda hard to trust someone when you don’t know who that someone really is.” Steve says.

Nat replies, “Yeah. Who do you want me to be?”

Steve answers, “How about a friend?”

She laughs before saying, “Well, there’s a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers.”

They look at each other and then back at you, before you doze off again, waking when Steve shakes your leg. “We’re here.”

You enter through a hole in the gate, and walk throughout the old base. Steve speaks up, “This camp is where I was trained.”

“Changed much?”

“A little.”

You follow Nat through the camp, her arm held in the air, searching for clues. Steve looked around with a faraway look on his face, clearly thinking back.

“This is a dead end. Zero heat signatures, zero waves. Not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have rerouted it to throw people off.”

Steve looks at a building with a funny look on his face. “What is it Steve?” you question.

He walks off towards the building, you and Nat behind him, scrambling to catch up. “Army regulations forbids storing munitions within 500 yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place.”

He uses his shield to bust the lock on the door and you all move in quietly and down a set of stairs. Nat flips on a light switch. “This is S.H.I.E.L.D.” She says.

“Maybe where it started,” you wondered aloud. You wander around the building, stepping into a room after Nat and Steve. They were both looking at photos on the wall; Peggy and Howard were featured.

“There’s Stark’s father.”

“Howard,” you remember fondly.

“Who’s the girl,” Nat asks, nodding at Peggy. Steve looks at it sadly before walking off quietly, leaving Nat’s question unanswered. You shrug at her, resolving to fill her in later. You follow Steve over to a bookcase that he is studying intensely.

“If you’re already working in a secret office,” he muses, sliding the bookcase open. “Why do you need to hide the elevator?” he finishes.

Nat scans the keys, breaking you all in easily. You descend even deeper underground, feeling uneasy as you do. When you all step off the elevator, and walk forward, the lights begin coming on slowly. You are greeted by a room of old computers and servers.

“This can’t be the data point; this technology is ancient.”

Nat notices the USB hub on the desk and looks at it confused before sliding in the flash drive. The action causes the servers to whir to life all around you. The monitor ahead comes to life, “Initiate system?”

Nat steps forward and types, “yes.” She then turns to you and Steve and asks, “Shall we play a game? It’s from a movie- “

Steve cuts her off, “We know, we saw it.”

You all turn back to the computer and it speaks out, “Rogers, Steven. Born 1918. y/l/n, y/n. Born 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born 1984.”

“Is this some kind of recording?” she questions, and you all look at the computer in confusion.

“I am no recording. I may not be the man I was when the Captain and y/n took me prisoner in 1945, but I am…”

The computer trails off and your vision is directed to a screen on the right, that features a picture of Dr. Zola. You shudder slightly.

“You know this thing?” Nat questions.

Steve speaks up, “Armin Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He’s been dead for years.”

“First correction, I am Swiss! Second, look around you, I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body. My mind however, that was worth saving. On 200,000 feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.”

“How did you get here?”

“Invited.”

Nat says, “Operation Paperclip after World War 2. S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited German scientists with strategic value.”

“They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own.”

You speak up this time, “Hydra died with the Red Skull.”

“Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.”

“Prove it,” you mutter.

“Accessing archive. Hydra was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you tried to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded. And I was recruited. The new Hydra grew. A beautiful parasite. Inside S.H.I.E.L.D. For 70 years, Hydra has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed.” You see glimpses of the Winter Soldier now, implying that he changed history when needed.

Nat interrupts, “That’s impossible, S.H.I.E.L.D. would have stopped you.”

“Accidents will happen.” Howard and Fury’s photos flashed on the screen at this declaration. “Hydra created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom and security. Once the purification process is complete, Hydra’s new world order will arise. We won, Captain and y/n. Your death amounts to the same as your life; a zero sum.”

Steve punches the monitor in anger, an action that you considered moments ago. Zola’s face appeared on another screen. “As I was saying.”

“What’s on this drive?” questions Steve.

“Project Insight requires insight. So, I wrote algorithm.”

“What kind of algorithm? What does it do?” you question.

“The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.”

The doors to the room lock tight behind you, Steve’s thrown shield bouncing off of them easily. Nat says, “Steve, y/n, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops.”

“Who fired it?” Steve asks.

“S.H.I.E.L.D.” Nat replies.

“I’m afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it, it’s better this way. We are, all of us, out of time.” Zola says, as Steve spots a grate near his feet. Steve lifts it and tosses it to the side, you and Nat already running towards it. The room begins exploding as Steve pulls you down below, holding his shield over your heads to protect you. You and Steve grunt as you try to prevent you from all dying under the weight of the rubble.

There’s silence as soon as it began, and Steve mutters out to you, “Lift, y/n!”

You both grunt as you push a concrete slab out of the way, rolling out and coughing immediately. You’re turning to check on Nat when you hear the sound of aircraft nearby.

“Steve, grab Nat and run!” you run behind them, ready to turn and engage if needed to give them time to get away.

. . .

You all stand on the stoop of someone’s porch, Nat’s arm slung over your shoulder and all looking worse for wear. Steve knocks and Sam comes to the door.

“Hey man,” Sam greets.

Steve begins, “I’m sorry about this, we need a place to lay low.”

You look at Sam and say, “Everyone we know is trying to kill us.”

Sam looks at all 3 of you before saying, “Not everyone,” stepping aside to let you all in.

You and Steve usher Nat into the shower first, while you sit on the bed and talk quietly.

“Steve, we gave up our lives for nothing. Dying for a cause that didn’t end with us. _Bucky_ died for nothing.”

“Hey, hey, hey, y/n. Don’t talk like that, Bucky didn’t die for nothing and neither did we. There’s a reason we came back, this has to be it.”

You nod at his words, the truth of them giving you new purpose. You said you were going to kill everyone last one of them after Bucky’s death and you meant it.

Nat emerges from the shower and you rinse off quickly, coming out to help her dry her hair. Steve stands at the door of the bathroom, looking at you both.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

You nod and Nat says, “Yeah.”

He looks at her like he doesn’t believe her and you rise quickly, feeling out of place. Steve sits on the bed across from her, leaning in to talk. You slip from the room quietly, not wanting to disturb their conversation. Sam smiles as you walk in the kitchen holding out a glass of juice, “Breakfast is ready. Do super soldiers even eat?”

You laugh at his question, “Yeah Sam, we eat. We’re just enhanced, not inhuman.”

You plop down at the table, digging into the breakfast spreads hungrily. It had been days since you had a full real meal, things had been too crazy to worry about it before. Sam looks at you, impressed by all the food you’re consuming. “What happened to you guys?”

“Well our boss died, we were declared enemies of S.H.I.E.L.D., we had to steal a car, the secret underground building we were in was bombed and we somehow survived, and we had to escape a Strike team.” You answer, beginning to take a bite of eggs. “Oh, and the secret agency that me and Steve died to destroy has actually been growing within S.H.I.E.L.D. the entire time,” you finish with a shrug.

Sam looks at you with his eyebrows raised and says, “Damn, just another day at the office?”

You laugh, “No, this is weird, even for us.”

Sam stands up saying, “I should probably let them know breakfast is ready.”

You nod and continue to eat, all 3 of them emerging moments later. You all immediately start discussing the events of the last few days.

“So, the question is, who at S.H.I.E.L.D. can launch a domestic missile strike?” questions Nat.

“Pierce.” You state matter of fatly.

“Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world,” mutters Nat.

“He’s not working alone,” says Steve. “Zola’s algorithm was on the _Lemurian Star_.”

 Realization dawns on Nat’s face. “So was Jasper Sitwell.”

It hits all of you after that and you ask, “So the real question is: how do the 3 most wanted people in Washington kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D. officer in broad daylight?”

Sam put down the butter knife he was using halfway through your question and walks off, returning with a file. “The answer is, you don’t.”

Sam puts the file on the table and Steve asks, “What’s this?”

Sam replies, “Call it a resume.”

You open the file and look at the pictures it contains, surprised by the contents. Nat talks about the mission he was on and asks, “I heard they couldn’t bring in the choppers there were so many RPGs? What’d you use? A stealth suit?”

“No,” Sam answers, producing another file, “These.”

You all look at the photo of the flight suits and Steve says, “I thought you said you were pilot.”

“I never said pilot,” Sam answers with a smile.

“We can’t ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason.”

“Dude, Captain America needs my help. There’s no better reason to get back in,” he replies earnestly.

. . .

Steve tosses Sitwell through the door of the roof, Sitwell tumbling to the ground. Steve strides towards him and says, “Tell me about Zola’s algorithm.”

You and Nat saunter behind them at a less brisk pace. “Never heard of it,” Sitwell answers.

Steve tries again, “What were you doing on the _Lemurian Star_?”

“I was throwing up, I get seasick.” At Sitwell’s last word, his legs hit the edge of the roof, and Steve grabs him to stop him from falling. “Is this little ploy meant to insinuate that you’re going to throw me off the roof? Cause that’s really not your style, Rogers.”

Steve releases Sitwell’s jacket and says, “You’re right, it’s not.” He turns to you and continues, “It’s hers.”

Steve steps back and you smile before kicking Sitwell off the roof, enjoying his scream way too much. Hydra brought out something dark in you. You hear Sitwell’s scream ascending moments later, Sam dropping him onto the roof and landing smoothly. You smile at Sam, impressed with his landing, and he smiles back. You all close in on Sitwell, who immediately starts talking.

“Zola’s algorithm is a program! It chooses targets.”

“What targets?” Steve interrogates.

“You, a TV anchor, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa. Anyone who’s a threat to Hydra. Now, or in the future.”

You and Nat exchange worried glances as Steve asks, “Future? How could it know?”

Sitwell laughs and counters, “How could it not? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught Hydra how to read it.” You all look at him shocked and he continues, “Your bank records, search histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores! Zola’s algorithm evaluates people’s past to predict their future.”

“What then?” you ask.

Sitwell mutters under his breath, “Oh god, Pierce is going to kill me.”

“What then?” you repeat, raising your voice louder.

“Then the helicarrier scratches people off the list. A few million at a time.”

. . .

You were squished into the back seat of a car, seated between Sitwell and Nat. Admittedly, your love for the backseat was wavering a little in this moment. You were speeding down the highway towards the helicarriers, planning to use Sitwell as your way in. This was obviously a plan he did not like. “Hydra doesn’t like leaks.”

“So why don’t you try sticking a cork in it?” Sam asks, clearly annoyed.

“Insight launch is in 16 hours, we're cutting it kinda close here.” Nat mentions.

“I know. We’ll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly.” Steve replies.

Sitwell leans forward, squishing you into Nat. You shoot him an annoyed glare as he asks, “What? Are you crazy?! That is a terrible, terrible idea.”

As soon as the word idea leaves his mouth, something lands on the roof of the car with a thump. You all look up in confusion before Sitwell’s window is smashed, and he’s pulled out of it and thrown into oncoming traffic. You and Nat see the flash of a gun before she jumps into Steve’s lap in the front seat, knowing that it increased your odds in the back of avoiding a bullet. You each dodged a shot to the head, and Sam immediately slams on the emergency break, the car squealing to a halt. You see a body roll off of the car, metal fingers digging into the concrete to slow his sliding. You all look at him with equal parts of fear and anxiety, cars swerving to avoid you.

Before you can even truly react, a car slams into the back of you, slamming you all forward and causing you and Nat to drop your guns. The Winter Soldier stands in the road as you slide towards him, launching himself onto the roof of the car when he gets close enough. Sam hits the breaks and you fumble around for your gun, both actions failing. The Winter Soldier slams his hand through the windshield and pulls out the steering wheel, Sam’s “oh shit!” echoing your thoughts perfectly. Nat manages to grab her gun and shoot at the soldier, causing him to leap on the car that was ramming you. The car you’re in begins to swerve, and the car behind you speeds up, slamming into you again and turning your car sideways.

Steve yells out, “y/n, door!” and “hang on!” as he grabs Nat and Sam, slamming his shoulder into the door and disconnecting it from the car. You repeat the action a split second after he does, sliding on the door down the highway, sparks flying everywhere. You see the car flipping down the highway and realize that you would have all been dead if you stayed inside, super soldier or not. You see Sam roll off the door and you slide just past him, coming to a stop between Nat and Steve, and Sam.

The Winter Soldier jumps down from the car and grabs a grenade launcher, aiming in your direction. Steve pushes Nat to the side and braces for impact on the shield, and the force sends him flying backwards through a bus. You don’t have time to wonder about his safety because you are met by an onslaught of bullets from the Winter Soldier and his men. You, Sam, and Nat all run for cover behind some nearby cars.

You see Nat running with Sam, gun in hand and shooting back at the men. You pull your pistol from its holster and shoot at the Winter Soldier, leaping over the stone median when he sends a grenade your way. You roll out of the path of an oncoming car that nearly hits you, and duck behind another as more bullets rain down. You run down the highway towards the men, hoping to get close enough to take out the Winter Soldier. He sends another grenade your way as you run behind a car, and the explosion sends you flying over the side of the bridge. You summersault as you land, distributing the force of the fall, and you turn and run in the direction of Steve’s bus.

As you’re running you notice the shadow of a man with a gun above you, and you turn and run in a direction that will put him in your line of sight before he can see you. You turn and see him aiming towards the bus, and you pull your other gun and fire at him, before he quickly ducks from view. You use this opportunity to run for cover behind a stopped truck, and a second later there is a downpour of bullets in the spot you were just standing. You aim at him and fire again, before he returns fire. You run down the street away from the bridge, using the cars for cover.

You see the Winter Soldier approaching from your hiding spot, hoping that the recording on your cellphone bought you enough time to surprise him. You see him stalk towards the sound, listening carefully. He pulled a device from his belt, rolling it towards your phone. As soon as you saw him stand and wait for a reaction, you crept towards him quietly, waiting to attack. When an explosion launched the car into the air, you were already flying towards the Winter Soldier with your leg kicked out and ready for impact. Your foot made contact with his gun, kicking it from his hands. As the gun fell you used your momentum to swing around him, landing on his shoulders and pulling a new device from your belt, courtesy of Nat. It’s supposed to make it easier to choke someone to death, as messed up as that sounds.

You pulled the line taut, trying to get it against his neck, but his hand was in the way. He walks back while you squeeze his shoulders and try to choke him, and he slams you against a car before flipping you over his head. You slam into another car, landing with a moan. You hear him pick up his gun just as you are pulling another of Nat’s devices from your pocket. You fling it towards him, the shock temporarily disabling his arm and causing the bullet to miss you. You take off running again, yelling at civilians to move and leave the area. As you are running by a car, a bullet flies through the window and hits your shoulder.

You yell out and grasp the already bleeding wound, dropping to the ground for cover. You’re looking around for more shooters and you hear the Winter Soldier land on a car over your left shoulder. You start to pat your pockets and holsters for a weapon when Steve runs at him, distracting him for you. You watch as Steve and the Winter Soldier fight, evenly matched in skill and speed. Your eyes have a hard time following the fight, both of them attacking and defending so quickly that you aren’t sure what’s going on. You see the Winter Soldier pull out a knife, lunging and swiping at Steve like a viper. You hate that you think it, but you’re impressed with how well he uses a knife.

The Winter Soldier and Steve continue to fight, with the Winter Soldier nearly landing a blow to Steve’s head that likely would have killed him. The Winter Soldier pulls out another knife and they continue lunging and blocking, each landing blows and receiving them. Steve flips him over his shoulder, a move that causes the Winter Soldier's mask to fall from his face. When he lands and turns back towards Steve, you don’t think either of you could ever be more shocked than you are in that moment.

“Bucky?” Steve questions.

You begin rising from your spot slowly, staring at the man in front of you in disbelief.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” the Winter Soldier asks, genuinely confused. He raises his gun, preparing to shoot Steve, but Sam flies down in that moment to knock him out of the way. Steve stands and looks at Bucky before Bucky again raises his gun, preparing to shoot Steve. The launch of a grenade from nearby stops the Winter Soldier before he can shoot, and you look up to see Nat standing with the grenade launcher and looking pissed as hell. You and Steve both turn to look for Bucky, but he’s gone before the smoke even clears.

The sound of approaching sirens doesn’t even pull you from your daze as you walk towards Steve, wondering what the hell is going on. The strike team surrounds the 4 of you, barking for you to get down. You put your hands on your head and drop to your knees, vaguely aware of the handcuffs being put around your wrists. You’re thrown into the van next to Steve, and you look at him with an expression of bewilderment and joy.

He says, “It was him. He looked right at me. He didn’t even know me.”

“Stevie, Bucky’s _alive._ ” You say, slightly giddy and delirious from the blood loss and excitement.

Sam questions, “How is that even possible? It was like 70 years ago.”

Steve answers, “Zola. Bucky’s whole unit was captured and Zola experimented on them. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall.”

You lift your head at his last statement and look at Steve, eyes full of guilt as you whisper. “We left him behind, Steve.”

Nat speaks up at your statement, “None of that’s your fault.”

You both look away, ashamed that you left Bucky behind. “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky.”

His words only cause the guilt to burn in your stomach, like acid. You start to feel lightheaded, aware that there was nothing slowing the bleeding from your shoulder. Even super soldiers can bleed out. You think you hear Sam mention something about a doctor, but you pass out before you hear the end.

. . .

The summer that you and Steve were 14 and Bucky was 15, you all decided that you were going to swim in the lake at Central Park. You waited until late at night and you all 3 snuck out of Steve’s apartment and into the park. You swam for an hour, giggling and teaching Steve how to float and dunking Bucky underwater, before you saw the flashlight of a cop sweeping the area near you. You all ran out of the lake, half naked in just your underclothes, laughing the whole way back. You arrived back at Steve’s, breathless with laughter and from the run. You snuck back in, past Steve’s mom Sarah, and snuggled into the blankets between Steve and Bucky. You all fell asleep that night happy, hair still damp from the water.

A few hours later you woke up, a cough rattling in Steve’s lungs. Bucky was sitting next to Steve, and it was clear to you that he had been awake for some time. You touched his forehead and it was hot to the touch, but Steve kept pulling the blankets tighter around himself. You looked at Bucky in alarm, “I’ll go get Sarah.”

Bucky nodded his head and you rushed out to her, frantic and crying in fear. Sarah jumped up and immediately got to work preparing a cold compress for Steve and gathering cool water for him to drink. She came in the room and made quick work of situating Steve, adjusting him on the pillows and working to break his fever. When she was satisfied with his condition, she pulled you both from the room, sitting you at the table and preparing you both some soup.

She knew that you had all gotten up to something, the smell of freshwater obvious on your skin. She sensed how shaken up you and Bucky were though, so she never lectured you. “Bucky, y/n. My Stevie is a special boy and he requires special care sometimes. He has to be very careful in this life in order to avoid illnesses that can kill him.” She took yours and Bucky’s hands in hers and continued, “I’m glad that he has friends like you to bring him joy and help him live his life, but it’s important that you two always protect him, do you understand?”

You and Bucky nodded vigorously, the importance of this promise sticking with you for life. Years later when Sarah was sick in the hospital with tuberculosis, you and Bucky went to visit her after he got off work. You often found Steve there and walked him home, making sure that he took care of himself too. Steve was asleep in a chair in the corner, and you sat with Sarah, telling her about your day, attempting to lift her spirits.

She grabbed yours and Bucky’s hand the same way she had 4 summers ago and asked you desperately, “Do you remember that promise you made me the summer that Stevie got very sick?” You both nod so she continues, “You must keep that promise, especially after I’m gone. Keep him safe, but help him live life. Don’t let him mourn me forever.”

You and Bucky agree, tears slipping down your face at her words. You gather Steve and take him home, taking care to make sure he eats and washes up. You fall asleep together that night like you usually do, tangled together. And by morning, Sarah Rogers is dead.

. . .

You come to, the sound of voices cutting through the fog in your brain. You heard a voice that sounded a lot like…Fury? You got up quickly, already feeling slightly better, and rushed to the sound of the voices. You turned the corner and stood there staring at Fury in confusion. “Fury?!” you gasp out.

“As I live and breathe,” he answers.

You turn to Steve and ask, “What the hell is going on?”

Steve sits in a chair at the table, explaining to you that Fury faked his death and finishing with the plan to take down the helicarriers. You nodded at the end of the monologue, “Okay. I’m in.”

Sam looked at you in shock, “y/n, you were just shot. You lost a lot of blood. You should probably stay here and rest.”

You pull your jacket to the side, revealing your bare soldier. The bruising around your stitches had already faded, and your stitches looking ready to come out soon. You turned and saw Steve walking out and you turned back to Sam, jealousy all over his face. “Super soldier,” you say with a shrug before standing to go find Steve.

You find him standing on the bridge outside, looking out at the view. You come up behind him and slip your arm through his, leaning against him. “We’re going to bring him back, right Steve? I know he’s in there. I can feel it.”

Steve looks down at you and then turns back to the view. “He made a promise to stick by me until the end. I owe him the same.” You look up at him, remembering what he’s talking about. He asks, “Do you remember that, after mom’s funeral?”

“Yeah,” you reply quietly, mind already drifting off.

. . .

“We looked for you after,” Bucky tells Steve, following behind him closely. He turns to make sure you are still behind them both. “Me and y/n wanted to give you a ride to the cemetery.”

“I know, I’m sorry. Kinda wanted to be alone.”

Bucky looks worried and asks, “How was it?”

Steve answers, defeated. “It’s okay. She’s next to dad.”

A neighbor emerges from his apartment, standing aside as you pass by. Bucky says, “I was gonna ask- “

Steve cuts him off with a sigh, “I know what you’re going to say, Bucky.”

“We’ll put the couch cushions on the floor like when we were all kids. It’ll be fun, all you gotta do is shine my shoes. Maybe take out your trash.”

Steve is patting his pockets, looking for his key, and Bucky turns to the loose stone behind him, kicking it aside. He hands the key to Steve, “C’mon.”

Steve looks at you then Bucky and says, “Thank you, Buck. Thank you, y/n. But I can get by on my own.”

Bucky looks at Steve and replies, “The thing is, you don’t have to.” He grasps his shoulder and says, “I’m with ya until the end of the line, pal.”

Steve looks up at him and smiles, and you can’t resist the urge to hug your favorite boys. You pull them into a hug, kissing both of their cheeks before they can protest. But for once, they don’t and they allow you to hold them there for a few seconds, something they haven’t let you do in the last few years. Something about ruining their chances to find a girl.

You always regarded Sarah’s death as a turning point in your life, and you suspect that the boys did too. Bucky began asking you out shortly after, the death of someone so close to him a jarring experience.

Sam’s voice pulls you back. “He’s gonna be there, you know?”

“I know,” Steve answers. You step away from Steve and look at Sam.

“Whoever he used to be and the guy he is now, I don’t think he’s the kind you save. He’s the kind you stop.”

You glare at Sam and say, “You’re wrong.”

Steve immediately replies, “I don’t know if I can do that.”

Ignoring your comment, Sam says, “He might not give you a choice. He doesn’t know either of you.”

“He will,” Steve says with confidence, causing you to smile. “Gear up, it’ s time.”

“You gonna wear that?” Sam asks.

“No. If you’re gonna fight a war, you got to wear a uniform.”

. . .

You, Sam, and Hill all point your guns at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who opens the door. He looks surprised to see you all there. “Excuse us,” Steve asks, and the agent waves you by with his hands raised in the air.

“Attention all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, this is Steve Rogers. You’ve heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it’s time you know the truth. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what we thought it was. It’s been taken over by Hydra. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The Strike and Insight crew are Hydra as well. I don’t know how many more, but I know they’re in the building, they could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want; absolute control. They shot Nick Fury. And it won’t end there. If you launch those helicarriers today, Hydra will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I’m asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high, always has been. And it’s a price I’m willing to pay. And if I’m the only one, then so be it. But I’m willing to bet I’m not.”

Steve stands back from the microphone and you smile at him, always proud of his ability to inspire. Sam is in awe when he asks, “Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?”

You, Sam, and Steve run down the stairs and towards the helicarriers. Hill stays behind at your established base camp, ready to help when needed. As you run out to them, you see the helicarriers rising from underground. “They’re initiating launch.” Hill mutters in your earpieces.

You all run faster at her words, Steve turning to Sam. “I could use a ride.”

Sam grabs Steve and takes off, struggling slightly with Steve’s weight. You continue running forward, dropping down to alpha ship while Sam takes Steve to charlie ship. As soon as your feet hit the pavement on the helicarriers, shots fly through the air in your direction. You run and duck behind cargo for cover. You advance forward, taking out a guard and stealing one of his grenades, throwing it at the other guards to stop them. You heard cannons going off in the distance, and you look to see Sam out-flying the shells.

“Falcon, status?”

“Engaging!”

You smile and continue forward, taking out guards as you go. You hear Sam again, “I’m in. Bravo lock.”

“8 minutes,” Hill says, and you and Steve both reply, “Working on it.”

You wonder how many more guards are left on this damn carrier as you knock out two more guards and shoot a third. You run ahead, reaching the location to change the chip. You switch them quickly, chiming in, “Alpha lock.”

Sam’s voice chimes in immediately after, “Cap, Cap, come in. Are you okay?”

You hear Steve straining as he replies, “Yeah, I’m here. I’m still on the helicarrier. Where are you?”

“I’m grounded. The suit’s down. Sorry, Cap.”

“y/n?”

“I’m coming to you Steve, hang on!”

“Two minutes until launch!” Hill says.

You run back out and slide into one of the helicopters, looking around slightly confused. You didn’t fly often, but after a moment you were able to get the helicopter off the ground, albeit unsteady. You make the short trip over to Steve’s ship, landing quickly and hopping out. You take out a few guards on your way to Steve, and run into the room to see him fighting Bucky on the glass below. “Steve!” you yell out.

Steve looks at you, his chokehold on Bucky tightening. Bucky’s face begins to turn a horrible shade of purple before he passes out, dropping the chip that he was clutching in his hand. Steve grabs it and yells out, “y/n, heads up!”

You catch the chip as it flies through the air, and Steve bends double to catch his breath. Hill chimes in, “Ten seconds!”

You run to the controller in a panic, typing in the necessary information to change the chip. You pull out the original chip and slide the new one in. “Charlie lock.”

“y/n, Captain, get out of there!” says Hill, right before a bullet tears through your side. You scream out in pain and hear Steve yell your name just as another shot is fired and presumably hits Steve.

“God damn it, Bucky!” you yell out. “That’s the second one in a day!”

You slide down below to join Steve, who tosses you the shield to block Bucky’s next shot. You pull the knife from your belt as Steve gasps out, “Fire now.”

“But Steve- “Hill begins.

“Just do it!” he yells out.

Bucky runs at you as this exchange is happening in your ear, and you drop the shield to lunge at him with the knife. You manage to cut his shoulder when the sound of cannons rings out around you, shaking the ship violently. You hear the glass below your feet crack and you yell out, “No!” just as you fall through the glass, landing in the water below. You begin to paddle towards the shore, struggling to keep your head above water because of the pain in your side. You look up to the carrier that the boys were on, hoping that Steve and Bucky were okay.

You finally reach the shore, and use your remaining strength to pull you out of the water. You close your eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths and remaining conscious. You needed to stay awake in case Steve needed you. You heard the splashing of someone walking in shallow water, and opened your eyes slowly. Bucky dropped Steve’s body next to you, and you heard Steve expelling the water from his lungs. You sighed in relief and looked up at Bucky, who was studying you intensely. “Hi Buck.” He continues to study you so you say, “You know, I’m still waiting on that ring.”

Bucky cocks his head to the side before looking at you with a peculiar expression. He limps off, leaving you calling his name behind him.

. . .

You had been camped out by Steve’s bed for a few days, sleeping in uncomfortable hospital chairs and waiting for him to wake. You mostly told him stories, alternating between memories you both shared with Bucky and things he didn’t know about.

“He proposed you know.” You stated one morning, Sam perking up to listen.

“Who proposed?” he asked.

“Bucky did, the night before we shipped out. Steve ditched us pretty early on that night, presumably to try to join the army again. The date I brought for Steve snagged a soldier up within minutes, leaving just me and Bucky. We went dancing. Got ice cream from Sal. Went to the shipyard to talk. Stayed out all night, until the sun rose in the sky. Just like our first date. When Bucky was walking me back home and we were avoiding our goodbyes he turned to me and said, ‘I’m going to put a ring on that finger when we get back. And we’ll get married with Steve by our side, and we’ll have a big family for uncle Stevie to play with. We’ll grow old together, the 3 of us, like we’re supposed to.’”

Tears slipped down your cheeks at the memory and you smiled sadly, “When we saved him from Hydra, I really thought it was going to happen. We talked about it again one night, after Steve fell asleep. He was just as serious as the day he mentioned it. And then, then train. The ice…” you trail off, looking up at Sam who smiled at you softly. “Anyway, we never told Steve. It was probably the first secret we ever kept from him, but Buck wanted it to be official before we told him. He knew Stevie wouldn’t let him settle for less than the real deal.”

Sam stands up and squeezes your shoulder. “I’ll go get us some more coffee.”

You nod and grab Steve’s hand, lowering your head to his bedside and praying that he’ll wake up soon. You can’t find Bucky without him. Besides, you’re a trio, not a duo. Moments later, you hear a raspy voice mutter out, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the proposal. 70 years later and I’m just now finding out.”

You lift your head when you hear his voice, smiling and kissing his hand. “Stevie! I’ll go call the others, they’ll want to know that you’re awake.”

“Wait,” he rasps out. “Can you wait a few minutes? I want to pretend I’m not Captain America for a minute. Tell me about the proposal again.”

“Sure.” You reply, starting again with a smile. “It was after you decided to be a punk and leave us…”

. . .

Steve was released from the hospital within the week, and you both meet up with Sam at Fury’s grave. The world still thought Fury was dead, and he requested that you meet with him one last time before he disappeared.

“So, you’ve experienced this sort of thing before?”

You laugh at Fury’s question and answer for you and Steve. “You get used to it.”

Fury goes straight to business, “We’ve been data mining Hydra’s files. It looks like a lot of rats didn’t go down with the ship. I’m headed to Europe tonight, I wanted to ask if you’d come.”

Steve looks up, “There’s something I gotta do first.”

“y/n?”

“If I leave, who will keep Steve out of trouble?” you ask.

“What about you Wilson? I could use a man with your abilities.”

Sam responds, “I’m more of a soldier than a spy.”

“Alright then.” Fury shakes Steve’s hand followed by your own and Sam’s. “If anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here.”

Nat speaks up behind you, “You should be honored. That’s about as close as he comes to saying thank you.”

“Not going with him?” you ask.

“No,” she answers quickly.

“Not staying here.” Steve states.

She looks at you both, “I blew all my covers. I gotta go figure out a new one.”

“Might take a while,” Steve says.

“I’m counting on it,” she answers. She looks at you and then Steve. “That thing you asked for,” she hands Steve a file. “I called in a few favors from Kiev.”

She kisses Steve on the cheek goodbye, and then pulls you into a tight hug. She starts to walk away when she turns and says, “Careful, you two. Might not want to pull on that thread.”

Steve opens the file and a large photo of Bucky in a cryo chamber is the first thing you see. Your heart constricts at the smaller photo inside, one of him in his uniform. You pull it from the paperclip and look up at Steve as you pocket it.

“You’re going after him?” Sam questions.

“You don’t have to come with us.” Steve replies.

“I know,” Sam mutters. “When do we start?”

 

_Fin._


End file.
